Royal Rules Markle Must Follow

These are the important Royal rules Meghan Markle needs to observe. 

NO TRAVELING WITHOUT FUNERAL CLOTHES

After Princess Elizabeth was visiting Kenya with Prince Philip, she was caught off guard when her father, King George VI, died suddenly. She had to travel sans mourning clothes, and since then, all royals must carry funeral clothes with them on all trips."This ensures that when they return to the U.K. they are seen to be in a respectful mood that correlates with the presumable sombre mindset of the nation during that period," The Independent reports.

NO SELFIES

Cute dog-face filters will be a thing of the past for Markle when she becomes a duchess. And it looks like she's already practicing this rule. On her first official event with Prince Harry, the actress revealed that she is no longer allowed to take selfies with fans when a couple asked for a picture with her. "We're not allowed to do selfies," she reportedly told the couple.The rule was established to encourage people to make eye contact and make conversation with royals, instead of turning their backs to them (a huge no-no) to take a selfie. "Turning your back to the Duke and Duchess and taking a selfie is discouraged if at all possible. I know it's fun to do, but they much would rather see your face," Jennifer Gehmair, a Royal Family etiquette expert, told Smooth Radio.

NO AUTOGRAPHS

In the same vein as selfie-taking, Markle will no longer be allowed to sign autographs when she becomes a royal. The rule stems from a fear that autographs will lead people to forge their signatures, which is why they're only allowed to sign royal documents and, sometimes, visitors' books, according to The Royal U.K., a website dedicated to the family.In 2010, this rule was broken by Prince Charles who scribbled "Charles 2010" on a piece of paper for a family whose home was destroyed by a natural disaster, according to Daily Mail. He reportedly apologized for his "shaky writing" because he "never writes standing up."

NO SOCIAL MEDIA

Markle's social media, including her Twitter and Instagram, have been inactive for months. As you might expect, she will no longer be able to use her own personal accounts. Instead, like Prince Harry, William, and Kate Middleton, she will use the family's Kensington Royal account to share updates on her life and royal happenings. The account is where the family shared her engagement pictures and announcement.

NO P.D.A.

Despite the frequent hand-holding and touching we've seen from Prince Harry and Markle, P.D.A. is quite rare in the Royal Family. Though there is no official rule that restricts public displays of affection, there is a longstanding tradition that royal couples keep their P.D.A. to a minimum, according to royal etiquette expert, Myka Meier, for People.That might be why you've rarely seen Kate Middleton and Prince William kiss in public since their wedding. Given that Markle and Prince Harry already almost broke this rule when they held hands during their engagement announcement, Meier predicts that this rule will slowly be fizzled out by the couple. "Meghan and Prince Harry holding hands at a royal engagement is a refreshingly modern approach to their new role both as a couple and as representative of the royal family," Meier said.

NO VOTING

When Markle marries Prince Harry, she will obtain her U.K. citizenship, but that doesn't mean that she will be able to participate in the same rights that other U.K. citizens can. Though it isn't outlawed, an official site for the U.K. parliament claims that it is "unconstitutional" for the Monarch to vote and that many Royal Family members also don't participate in elections out of "convention.""Although not prohibited by law, it is considered unconstitutional for the Monarch to vote in an election," the site states.

NO ADULT BRIDESMAIDS

There has been a lot of talk about whether Markle's celebrity BFFs, Serena Williams and Priyanka Chopra, will show up to her wedding as bridesmaids. But, per royal tradition, it's very unlikely that a royal bride has adult bridesmaids.
 According to European royal expert Marlene Koenig, who spoke to Town and Country, it is "unusual" for a bride to have a bridesmaid or maid of honor over 30 at her wedding. Typically, the wedding party includes children or pre-teenagers.However, Koenig explained that this rule was recently broken twice. 

Once, when Kate Middleton recruited her sister, Pippa, as a bridesmaid in 2011, and another time when the queen had a group of bridesmaids roughly the same age as her when she married in 1947. These semi-recent weddings might suggest a new tradition for Markle's nuptials.

NO COLORED NAIL POLISH

Take a look at Markle's hands in the recent months, and you'll notice that she's already started following this rule. According to sources for OK! magazine, Royal Family members are prohibited from wearing dark and colored nail polish, meaning that they stick with skin-tone shades. Both the Queen and Kate Middleton are a fan of Essie's $9 peachy colors, so we're predicting Markle will also be a big customer of the brand.

NO WEDGES

This isn't an official rule, but it's highly likely that Markle will be purging her closet of all her wedges soon. According to a source for Vanity Fair, the Queen despises wedges and makes it very clear to the women in the Royal Family that their outfit will not be well-received if it includes the shoes."The Queen isn't a fan of wedged shoes. She really doesn’t like them and it's well known among the women in the family," the source said.

NO EATING AT HER OWN PACE

Along with learning how to properly greet the Queen, Markle will need to learn how to eat with her, as well. According to Diane Gottsman, author of Modern Etiquette for a Better Life, who spoke to Bravo, there are strict rules when eating with the Queen. One, Markle will not begin eating until the Queen has started. Second, she needs to keep a close eye on the Queen's plate because when she finishes, everyone around her also must stop eating, even if there is still food. This could be a struggle considering how quickly the Queen eats, according to rumor."No one should start eating before the Monarch and no one should carry on eating after the Monarch has finished," Gottsman said.

NO CROSSED LEGS WHEN SITTING

Though it's not an official rule, it's frowned upon for Royal Family members to cross their legs when sitting, according to an expert for Hello! This is likely why you'll never see a picture of Kate Middleton crossing her legs. Instead, Middleton puts her legs side-by-side and slightly tilts them—a pose dubbed as "the Duchess Slant." Princess Diana also used the position to avoid crossing her legs.

NO SLEEPING IF THE QUEEN IS UP

Though she's allowed to rest whenever she wants in her home, when she stays at the Queen's house, Markle must stay up until the Queen goes to sleep, according to the Daily Beast. Luckily, the Queen almost never goes to sleep after 11:30 p.m. (to not throw off her schedule the next day), so Markle won't have to stay up too late.


NO ENTERING A ROOM FIRST

Along with sitting next to Prince Harry 99 percent of the time she's at a Royal Family gathering, Markle will also need to be wary of who is entering the room and when. According to Reader's Digest, there is a strict hierarchy for who can enter a room first. The order goes: Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Camila, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and then likely, Prince Harry and Markle.

from stylecaster